Sotheby's Important Design sale has shattered records with the staggering sale of François-Xavier Lalanne's 'Hippopotame Bar' for $31.4 million, eclipsing its high estimate of just $10 million. The highly anticipated auction, featuring works from the Schlumberger Collection, saw a heated bidding battle among seven collectors, highlighting the immense demand for large-scale and rare works by this celebrated artist.
The one-of-a-kind 'Hippopotame Bar', crafted from a variety of materials including hand-wrought copper, stainless steel, brass, and painted wood, is a masterclass in Lalanne's signature blend of whimsy and technical prowess. With its intricate hidden compartments – including a revolving bottle rack and glassware storage – this remarkable piece showcases the artist's ability to engineer functional objects that are both practical and imaginative.
Lalanne's fascination with the hippopotamus form has led to this pivotal moment in his career, solidifying the artist's position as a leading figure in the market. The sale not only breaks Lalanne's auction record but also sets a new benchmark for works of design, underscoring the surging demand for functional art.
The success of 'Hippopotame Bar' is part of a broader trend in the design and decorative arts category, which has bucked the trend of declining sales in other major categories. According to ArtTactic, the category has seen significant growth year-over-year, with sales reaching $172 million in the first half of 2025 – an increase of 20.4 percent.
Lalanne's work continues to attract international interest, as demonstrated by recent sales from the Pauline Karpidas collection in London. The artist's pieces have been fetching substantial sums at auction, solidifying their place among the most sought-after works in the market.
In a major reshuffle of Lalanne's top-selling works at auction, 'Hippopotame Bar' has taken its rightful place as one of the highest-grossing sales for the artist. With this record-breaking sale, Lalanne's legacy as a master of functional art continues to grow, cementing his position as a leading figure in the market.
The one-of-a-kind 'Hippopotame Bar', crafted from a variety of materials including hand-wrought copper, stainless steel, brass, and painted wood, is a masterclass in Lalanne's signature blend of whimsy and technical prowess. With its intricate hidden compartments – including a revolving bottle rack and glassware storage – this remarkable piece showcases the artist's ability to engineer functional objects that are both practical and imaginative.
Lalanne's fascination with the hippopotamus form has led to this pivotal moment in his career, solidifying the artist's position as a leading figure in the market. The sale not only breaks Lalanne's auction record but also sets a new benchmark for works of design, underscoring the surging demand for functional art.
The success of 'Hippopotame Bar' is part of a broader trend in the design and decorative arts category, which has bucked the trend of declining sales in other major categories. According to ArtTactic, the category has seen significant growth year-over-year, with sales reaching $172 million in the first half of 2025 – an increase of 20.4 percent.
Lalanne's work continues to attract international interest, as demonstrated by recent sales from the Pauline Karpidas collection in London. The artist's pieces have been fetching substantial sums at auction, solidifying their place among the most sought-after works in the market.
In a major reshuffle of Lalanne's top-selling works at auction, 'Hippopotame Bar' has taken its rightful place as one of the highest-grossing sales for the artist. With this record-breaking sale, Lalanne's legacy as a master of functional art continues to grow, cementing his position as a leading figure in the market.
31.4 million is insane! i mean, you can feel the love and craftsmanship that went into making 'Hippopotame Bar' it's like a work of art, but also super functional 
anyone who's into design or just wants to own a piece of history would be crazy not to bid on this thing. and yeah, it's great to see the market for functional art doing so well - i've been saying it for ages, there's something special about owning an object that serves more than one purpose 
! $31.4 million is straight fire 
and it just goes to show that functional art is back in a big way #FunctionalArtIsBack #LalanneLegacy 
The Schlumberger Collection was always gonna bring the heat, but this sale takes the cake 
. I'm loving how the design category is breaking all sorts of records and outperforming other categories #DesignCategoryOnTheRise 
It's a major win for Lalanne's work and solidifies his position as a master of whimsical design 
Can't wait to see what other record-breaking sales are in store! 
and it's dope to see that Lalanne's work is still super in demand, especially after that major collection sale in London last year. it just goes to show that his style and creativity continue to inspire people and make them wanna collect his pieces.
I'm literally speechless! The price of that 'Hippopotame Bar' is insane!!! 
My grandma had some old furniture from the 50s and it was still super valuable back then. This sale is proof that art has come a long way...and so have our wallets 
The fact that this piece sold for $31.4 million is just mind-blowing...I mean, I've seen some expensive cars in my time, but this is on a whole different level 
can't even view the pics properly... and whats up with the chat section? always gets spammy comments 
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. $172 million in sales so far this year? That's crazy growth 
. It's awesome to see how his work continues to captivate collectors and fans around the world 
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the demand for big-name artists is crazy right now & its dope to see ppl payin that kinda cash 4 somethin thats not even 2 b hung on a wall 
what's crazy is that this sale broke not only Lalanne's auction record but also the whole design category's benchmark 
and it's growing by 20.4% year-over-year? no doubt ppl are getting hooked on buying & collecting these iconic pieces 
. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are off the charts 
. And can we talk about how cool it is that there's still such demand for large-scale and rare works by Lalanne? It just goes to show that his unique blend of whimsy and technical prowess is still killing it 
. Maybe this is a sign that people are finally valuing functional art like they should? 
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